A Select Collection of Old English Plays Volume I Part 60

I know that mercy with thee is permanent, And will be ever, so long as the world endure: Then close not thy hand from man, which is thy creature.

Being thy subject, he is underneath thy cure, Correct him thou mayest, and so bring him to grace.

All lieth in thy hands, to leave or to allure, Bitter death to give, or grant most sovereign solace.

Utterly from man avert not then thy face; But let him savour thy sweet benevolence Somewhat, though he feel thy hand for his offence.

PATER COELESTIS. My true servant Noah, thy righteousness doth move me Somewhat to reserve for man's posterity.

Though I drown the world, yet will I save the lives Of thee and thy wife, thy three sons and their wives, And of each kind two, to maintain you hereafter.

JUSTUS NOAH. Blessed be thy name, most Mighty Merciful Maker, With thee to dispute it were inconvenient.

PATER COELESTIS. Why dost thou say so? be bold to speak thy intent.

JUSTUS NOAH. Shall the other die without any remedy?

PATER COELESTIS. I will drown them all for their wilful, wicked folly, That man hereafter thereby may know my power, And fear to offend my goodness day and hour.

JUSTUS NOAH. As thy pleasure is, so might it always be, For my health thou art, and soul's felicity.

PATER COELESTIS. After that this flood have had his raging pa.s.sage, This shall be to thee my covenant everlasting.

The seas and waters so far never more shall rage, As all flesh to drown, I will so temper their working; This sign will I add also, to confirm the thing.

In the clouds above, as a seal or token clear, For safeguard of man my rainbow shall appear.

Take thou this covenant for an earnest confirmation Of my former promise to Adam's generation.

JUSTUS NOAH. I will, blessed Lord, with my whole heart and mind.

PATER COELESTIS. Farewell then, just Noah, here leave I thee behind.

JUSTUS NOAH. Most Mighty Maker, ere I from hence depart, I must give thee praise from the bottom of my heart.

Whom may we thank, Lord, for our health and salvation, But thy great mercy and goodness undeserved?

Thy promise in faith is our justification, As it was Adam's, when his heart therein rested, And as it was theirs, which therein also trusted.

This faith was grounded in Adam's memory, And clearly declared in Abel's innocency.

Faith in that promise old Adam did justify, In that promise faith made Eve to prophecy.

Faith in that promise proved Abel innocent, In that promise faith made Seth full obedient.

That faith taught Enos on G.o.d's name first to call, And made Methuselah the oldest man of all.

That faith brought Enoch to so high exercise, That G.o.d took him up with him into paradise.

Of that faith the want made Cain to hate the good, And all his offspring to perish in the flood.

Faith in that promise preserved both me and mine.

So will it all them which follow the same line.

Not only this gift thou hast given me, sweet Lord, But with it also thine everlasting covenant, Of trust for ever, thy rainbow bearing record, Nevermore to drown the world by flood inconstant, Making the waters more peaceable and pleasant, Alas! I cannot to thee give praise condign, Yet will I sing here with heart meek and benign.

_Magna tunc voce Antiphonam incipit_, O oriens splendor, _&c., in genua cadens; quam chorus prosequetur c.u.m organis ut supra_.

_Vel Anglice sub eodem tono_.

O most orient clearness, and light shining of the sempiternal brightness!

O clear sun of justice and heavenly righteousness, come hither and illumine the prisoner sitting now in the dark prison and shadow of eternal death.

_Finit Actus secundus_.

INCIPIT ACTUS TERTIUS.

PATER COELESTIS. Mine high displeasure must needs return to man, Considering the sin that he doth day by day; For neither kindness nor extreme handling can Make him to know me by any faithful way, But still in mischief he walketh to his decay.

If he do not soon his wickedness consider, He is like, doubtless, to perish altogether.

In my sight he is more venom than the spider, Through such abuses as he hath exercised, From the time of Noah to this same season hither.

An uncomely act without shame Ham commised, When he of his father the secret parts revealed.

In like case Nimrod against me wrought abusion, As he raised up the castle of confusion.

Ninus hath also, and all by the devil's illusion, Through image-making upraised idolatry, Me to dishonour. And now in the conclusion The vile Sodomites live so unnaturally, That their sin vengeance asketh continually, For my covenant's sake I will not drown with water, Yet shall I visit their sins with other matter.

ABRAHAM FIDELIS. Yet, merciful Lord, thy graciousness remember To Adam and Noah, both in thy word and promise: And lose not the souls of men in so great number, But save thine own work, of thy most discreet goodness.

I wot thy mercies are plentiful and earnest.

Never can they die nor fail, thyself enduring, This hath faith fixed fast in my understanding.

PATER COELESTIS. Abraham, my servant, for thy most faithful meaning, Both thou and thy stock shall have my plenteous blessing.

Where the unfaithful, under my curse evermore, For their vain working shall rue their wickedness sore.

ABRAHAM FIDELIS. Tell me, blessed Lord, where will thy great malice light?

My hope is, all flesh shall not perish in thy sight.

PATER COELESTIS. No, truly, Abraham, thou chancest upon the right.

The thing I shall do I will not hide from thee, Whom I have blessed for thy true fidelity: For I know thou wilt cause both thy children and servants In my ways to walk, and trust unto my covenants, That I may perform with thee my earnest promise.

ABRAHAM FIDELIS. All that will I do, by a.s.sistance of thy goodness.

PATER COELESTIS. From Sodom and Gomorrah the abhominations call For my great vengeance, which will upon them fall: Wild fire and brimstone shall light upon them all.

ABRAHAM FIDELIS. Pitiful Maker, though they have kindled thy fury, Cast not away yet the just sort with the unG.o.dly.

Paraventure there may be fifty righteous persons Within those cities, wilt thou lose them all at once, And not spare the place, for those fifty righteous' sake?

Be it far from thee such rigour to undertake.

I hope there is not in thee so cruel hardness, As to cast away the just men with the rechless, And so to destroy the good with the unG.o.dly.

In the judge of all be never such a fury.

PATER COELESTIS. At Sodom, if I may find just persons fifty, The place will I spare for their sakes verily.

ABRAHAM FIDELIS. I take upon me to speak here in thy presence, More than becomes me; Lord, pardon my negligence: I am but ashes, and were loth thee to offend.

PATER COELESTIS. Say forth, good Abraham, for ill dost thou not intend.

ABRAHAM FIDELIS. Happily there may be five less in the same number: For their sakes I trust thou wilt not the rest acc.u.mber.[293]

PATER COELESTIS. If I among them might find but five-and-forty, Then would I not lose for that just company.

ABRAHAM FIDELIS. What if the city may forty righteous make?

PATER COELESTIS. Then will I pardon it for those same forty's sake.

ABRAHAM FIDELIS. Be not angry, Lord, though I speak indiscreetly.